The disclosure is particularly directed to incontinence protectors intended for use by men suffering from relatively mild incontinence problems involving small to moderate amounts of urine leakage. Such incontinence protectors range from thin shields that may only capture a few drops of urine to larger devices that may absorb and contain several hundred milliliters of urine. Urine incontinence and its causes are different between men and women. Many men who suffer from prostate problems also suffer from light incontinence. Due to the anatomical differences between men and women, and the differences in the nature of the incontinence, incontinence guards have been specially designed for male users.
A male incontinence protector is shown in international patent application WO 2007/061341 A1. It has a generally triangular shape with a wider front part and a narrow rear part. Such an incontinence protector is fitted inside a wearer's underwear and is shaped and sized to enclose the wearer's penis and extend beneath the scrotum. Further examples of incontinence protectors that have been shaped and configured to conform to the male anatomy are found in international patent application WO 2009/061241 A1 and international patent application WO 2006/123973 A1.
The incontinence protectors in WO 2007/061341 A1 and WO 2009/061241 A1 are of a kind that is attached inside the wearer's undergarment. The attachment is achieved by means of adhesive arranged on the surface of the incontinence protector which is facing the wearer's undergarment when the incontinence protector is being worn.
When attaching the incontinence protector to the undergarment, there is a risk that the wearer places the protector in a less suitable position in relation to the body, such as slightly to one side or too far to the rear or to the front of the undergarment. Such misplacement of the incontinence protector will increase the risk that urine escapes out of the incontinence protector resulting in highly undesirable leakage. Moreover, when worn, the incontinence protector will tend to shift with the movements of the undergarment as the wearer moves, further increasing the risk of leakage. Elderly males who constitute a major proportion of the men experiencing incontinence problems tend to choose loosely fitting undergarments implying that an incontinence protector fastened to such a garment will be located at a distance from the wearer's body so that a gap is formed between the incontinence protector and the wearer's body. Leakage of urine through the gap between the incontinence protector and the wearer's body is almost unavoidable in those cases.
In order to improve body contact, the incontinence protector in WO 2006/123973 A1 is designed with a fastening arrangement taking the form of a pocket into which the penis may be inserted in order to hold the incontinence protector against the wearer's body. Although leakage may be minimized with this arrangement many wearers dislike the feeling of constraint and tightness that the pocket evokes.
Accordingly, there still remains a strong need for an improved arrangement for holding a male urine incontinence protector securely and comfortably in place during wearing.